How Times Change....

[Cab-over Pete]

I took my old tanker to get the head bolts re-torqued the other day. On the way back I took a right turn off the main road and reversed into the yard of a lime customer who Dad used to go to with this very tanker with me and my brother about 35 years ago. It’s the only farm left milking from what would have been 10-12 farms on Dads first load of two each day that he ran into Unigate Dairies in Great Barr, Birmingham.

They were chuffed to bits to see it and we got talking. The farmer said he vividly remembers the day Dad dipped the bulk tank and for the first time ever they had just crept above 1000 litres of milk and how he thought to himself with pride how they felt they had made it in dairying.

He asked me how much milk the lorry could hold, the answer 9000 litres.

He said that today that tanker couldn’t hold all their daily output!!

They milk 3 times per day and it takes 3 hours each time. They have a staff member moving cows to and from the two parlours all that time. That’s 9 hours a day somebody is moving cows around the yard alone!!

 

[neilo]

It's called progress Pete....................apparently.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Was that at PK's Pete ?

 

[simmy_bull]

It's called progress Pete....................apparently.

Hmm!! I have a strong opinion on “progress”.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Yes, that’s right @Bruce Almighty

 

[Kiwi Pete]

It's called progress Pete....................apparently.

Funny type of progress though, isn't it?

Old chap just around the road from here has just retired from his 15 acres and moved into the village to a warmer house (80 next month) and offered the farm to both his neighbours.
Oddly enough, the "progressive" dairy farmer couldn't quite stretch to it, but the sheep farmer could write him a cheque - everything goes in cycles I guess?

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Sounds like progress to me, if that's what the chap wants and he's happy thats all that matters, just because some of you don't want to milk cows doesn't make it wrong..

 

[simmy_bull]

Was that photo just a few days ago @Cab-over Pete ?

Not seen skies like that for a while up these parts!!

 

[Cab-over Pete]

No, that was last summer at my old yard!!

We did have a sky like that for about two hours on Saturday morning though!

 

[7610 super q]

When did tankers take over from churns ?
I'm thinking 1974/ 75 ?
I vaguely remember much kerfuffle when dad had to buy a bulk tank in the mid 70's.
Was it different in other areas ?

 

[simmy_bull]

When did tankers take over from churns ?
I'm thinking 1974/ 75 ?
I vaguely remember much kerfuffle when dad had to buy a bulk tank in the mid 70's.
Was it different in other areas ?

I think your about right there. My uncle and the neighbour put cattle grids in at the same time. Was it compulsory for a tanker collection that there was no gates to open? Me and the neighbour replaced one grid around 2014/15 and I remember a comment about the old one lasting 40 years.

I think it also sort of made the division on these upland farms as to who would carry on in milk.

 

[basford]

Our first bulk tank calibrated 11/12/1963

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I have an old article from the Commercial Motor magazine telling us that W Freeman and Sons first tanker went into service on December 1st 1960. Blake’s of Loxley near Stratford on Avon started the same day with a tanker loaned from the MMB.

 

[DaveB]

Churn collection around here came to an end by the mid 70s The farm I work on gave up milking in 1970 rather than put in a tank and expand a bit and the 25 cows became multi sucklers. No more rolling the churns across the lane and lifting them onto the railway sleeper stand.

 

[multi power]

When did tankers take over from churns ?
I'm thinking 1974/ 75 ?
I vaguely remember much kerfuffle when dad had to buy a bulk tank in the mid 70's.
Was it different in other areas ?

79 for us, and only because they wouldn't take cans any longer, small herd half a mile from the creamery

 

[rob1]

I helped my old man concrete the step into the dairy after the churn stand was knocked down to get our first tank in, as always I put the date in the concrete, 17/3/ 1967 I was nearly 7 at the time, where have those 50 years gone

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Dad & Grandad went from churns to bulk in 1967 with Blakes of Loxley collecting the milk. I don't know if they collected the churns before then as I wasn't born until 1968 !

The entrance into our yard had to be altered - a pen / shed 12' wide was removed so the tanker could drive into the yard.

Today there are 3 barn conversions in the yard, my mother's, brother's and one rented out. The dairy is the other side of the farm house now

 

[FonterraFarmer]

I helped my old man concrete the step into the dairy after the churn stand was knocked down to get our first tank in, as always I put the date in the concrete, 17/3/ 1967 I was nearly 7 at the time, where have those 50 years gone

Your not the only one thinking that...

 

[Exfarmer]

We went to a tank in the mid sixties when we were doing 40 churns a day. Our driver was pleased to see the back of us. He was pushing 60 and the dairy wanted him to go on a bulker as it was obvious he was struggling. He didnt and we knew why, down the road from us was a farmer doing about 2 churns a day and she was like him single

 

[simmy_bull]

We went to a tank in the mid sixties when we were doing 40 churns a day. Our driver was pleased to see the back of us. He was pushing 60 and the dairy wanted him to go on a bulker as it was obvious he was struggling. He didnt and we knew why, down the road from us was a farmer doing about 2 churns a day and she was like him single

They managed very nicely in those days before smartphones and dating apps!!!